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Renal Function and Health

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Renal Function and Health

Posted on 27th February 2018 at 10:58 am.

Your kidneys are vital for survival, they filter waste substances out of your blood and balance the levels of salts and water in our bodies. Your kidneys filter around 180 litres of blood every day, control the production of red blood cells and release hormones that regulate blood pressure – it’s little wonder, then, the importance placed on looking after such a vital organ.

Did you know?

Around 1 in 8 people in the UK will develop Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Kidney Disease can affect people of all ages and races, 10% of the population worldwide is affected by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD.) Since Kidney Disease can sneak up without symptoms it has been labelled a silent killer, a person can lose up to 90% of their kidney function before experiencing any signs or symptoms.

As kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build up in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop additional problems such as high blood pressure, anemia, weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Kidney disease also increases your risk of developing heart or blood vessel disease. These problems often develop slowly and will often lead to kidney failure.

The two main causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure, which are responsible for up to two-thirds of cases, other causes include inherited kidney diseases and malformations at birth.

How is Chronic Kidney Disease detected?

Early detection and treatment is crucial to keep kidney disease from developing into kidney failure, some simple tests can be carried out to detect early kidney disease. These are;

A urine test to check if there is any protein present
A blood test to measure levels of creatinine

The best treatment is early detection when CKD can be slowed or stopped, however once kidneys fail, treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed. 8 of 10 people on the transplant list are waiting for a kidney, the average wait for a new kidney is 3 years, and every day one kidney patient will die waiting for a transplant.

Reduce your risk of developing CKD

Your kidneys are vital to your overall health, so it’s important to look after them. There are 5 simple steps that can help you keep them in good shape;

Stay hydrated
Maintain a balanced diet and keep your weight in check
Monitor your blood pressure
Quit Smoking
Limit your alcohol intake

Related Products

RX Series Analysers

Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers several parameters to assess renal health.

Renal Function

Albumin	Creatinine Enzymatic	IgG	Phosphorus (Inorganic)
Ammonia	Creatinine (Jaffe)	LDH	Urinary Protein
Beta-2 Microglobulin	Cystatin C	Magnesium	Urea
Calcium	Glucose	Potassium	Uric Acid
Chloride	HbA1c/Hb	Sodium

Our world-famous test menu of high quality reagents ensures excellence in patient care, guaranteeing unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.

The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.

For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/

Randox Reagents

Kidney disorders can develop and advance overtime without any signs and the symptoms are not recognised as being associated with renal impairment. Kidney health and regular renal screening is important to enable renal impairment to be detected in its earliest stages to prevent renal failure. Randox offers a comprehensive range of high performance reagents for the detection and characterisation of renal function problems.

All reagents are available for use on a wide range of third party biochemistry analysers. Contact us to request an application for your specific analyser.

Cystatin C

Cystatin C is a useful marker where creatinine measurements are unsuitable e.g. patients who are obese, malnourished, have liver cirrhosis or reduced muscle mass. Cystatin C also does not have a ‘blind area’ unlike creatinine – up to 50% of renal function can be lost before sufficient creatinine levels are detectable. Cystatin C is extremely sensitive to small changes in Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) and so is capable of detecting early stages of renal impairment.

For more information on Cystatin C, visit: www.randox.com/cystatin-c

Enzymatic Creatinine

Creatinine clearance in the kidneys gives a measurement of the GFR which is the standard marker for renal function. The enzymatic method offers superior specificity when compared to the traditional Jaffe method. Other benefits of the enzymatic method over the Jaffe method includes: limited interferences from bilirubin, haemoglobin, Intralipid® and Triglycerides making the assay more suitable for neonatal samples, eliminates the need for urea determination, highly specific and does not overestimate serum creatinine.

For more information on Enzymatic Creatinine, visit: www.randox.com/creatinine

Microalbumin

The detection of albumin in urine can be an indicator of kidney injury, as damage to the glomerular basement membrane results in albumin seeping out of the kidneys into urine. Sustained elevations of urinary albumin concentrations are called Microalbuminuria. The Randox Microalbumin test is an excellent marker of kidney disease and can identify individuals with diabetic nephropathy approximately 5-10 years earlier than proteinuria tests reducing the incidence of end stage renal disease. The American Diabetes Association and Diabetes UK recommend that all diabetics are screened for microalbuminuria on a yearly basis.

For more information on Microalbumin, visit: www.randox.com/microalbumin

Renal Testing Panel

Cystatin C
Creatinine Enzymatic
Creatinine Jaffe
Microalbumin
Total Urinary Protein
Urea
Sodium
Potassium
Albumin
Ammonia
β₂ Microglobulin
Calcium
Chloride
Glucose
HbA1c
IgG
LDH
Magnesium
Phosphorus (Inorganic)
Uric Acid

Quality Control

When diagnosing and monitoring Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), it is vital that laboratories have a robust Quality Control (QC) system in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results produced. The Acusera Chemistry and Urine Controls have been designed to cover a wide range of kidney function tests at clinical decision levels eliminating the need for additional low level controls at extra expense.

Our range of Chemistry Controls contain up to 100 analytes and cover a wide range of kidney function tests. Available in a choice of liquid or lyophilised formats, options are available to suit all laboratory sizes and budgets.

Our portfolio of Urine Control s cover the full range of clinical testing, manufactured from 100% human serum a matrix similar to that of the patient is guaranteed. They are available in both liquid ready-to-use and lyophilised formats, making them ideal for use at the point-of-care and in the laboratory.

Common kidney function parameters we cover include;

Albumin
Urea/BUN
Bicarbonate
Calcium
Chloride
Creatinine
Creatinine Clearance
Cystatin C
Glucose
Phosphate
Potassium
Sodium
Urine Albumin
Albumin/Creatinine Ratio
Beta-2 Microglobulin
Urinalysis
Urine Protein

For more information, contact us at acusera@randox.com

We also have corresponding RIQAS Chemistry and Urine Programmes which cover the common kidney function tests, including;

RIQAS General Clinical Chemistry Programme

The RIQAS General Clinical Chemistry EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of up to 52 parameters. Three flexible yet cost effective programme options are available.

Accredited to ISO/IEC 17043
Lyophilised for enhanced stability
Human based serum
Bi-weekly reporting
Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.Net
Register up to five instruments at no extra cost
Reference method values are provided for selected parameters/lots

For more information, visit our RIQAS General Clinical Chemistry Programme page.

RIQAS Human Urine Programme

The RIQAS Human Urine EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of up to 25 routine chemistry assays in urine.

Accredited to ISO/IEC 17043
Lyophilised for enhanced stability
100% human urine
Bi-weekly reporting
Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.Net
Register up to five instruments at no extra cost

For more information, visit our RIQAS Human Urine Programme page

Randox Health

Our Randox Health clinics offer comprehensive health testing as part of our Signature, Everyman and Everywoman packages to identify and assess risk of developing Kidney Disease. Our clinics utilise the same cutting-edge tests and quality control that we have available to clinical laboratories globally, as well as our patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT).

For more information visit: https://www.randoxhealth.com/

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Take control of your heart health with Randox

Posted on 20th February 2018 at 9:59 am.

Written by Randox Communications

Your heart is amazing. Not only is it your most critical organ but also one of the most hard-working. The average adult heart beats around 100,000 times a day, acting as a giant pump for all the blood in your body. Indeed, every day your heart pumps over nine litres of blood through a system of blood vessels over 60,000 miles long – it’s little wonder, then, the importance placed on looking after such a vital muscle.

The heart works 24/7, only taking a rest when you sleep with the natural drop of heart rate and blood pressure. Over time, and influenced by lifestyle choices, the heart grows weaker, needing to work harder to fulfil its function. Crucial lifestyle changes now could limit your risk of developing serious cardiac conditions, such as Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in the future. Factors which can contribute to your CVD risk include genes inherited from parents or grandparents, smoking, an unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption and low physical activity levels.

You can’t change your DNA, but you can find out what it means to you and your family. One of our advanced tests can identify people living with a common but often hidden disorder – Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH). Fewer than 12% of people in the UK know they have this potentially fatal condition. It is characterised by dangerously high levels of cholesterol which can lead to early onset cardiovascular disease.

While lifestyle changes may help to limit your risk of CVD, and related heart condition, it is impossible to eradicate it completely for everyone. Accounting for 31% of deaths worldwide, CVD is the number one cause of death globally but early screening could lower this figure significantly. That’s why it’s vitally important to detect CVD early before a coronary event like a heart attack occurs.

Today in the UK, 530 people will go to the hospital with a suspected heart attack. Only a fifth of these people will actually be having a heart attack. According to a team from King’s College London, as reported by the BBC, a faster, more accurate diagnosis of whether chest pain is caused by a heart attack would save the health service millions of pounds each year by sending well patients home and freeing up beds. Yet current testing methods do not efficiently differentiate between high-risk patients and the estimated 80% of patients who are not having a heart attack.

Randox’s revolutionary test for Heart-Type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (H-FABP), when combined with current testing, is able to rule out a heart attack for patients who present at A&E with chest pain which is caused by other conditions such as respiratory issues, meaning they may not need emergency admission.

When measured at the time a patient presents to A&E with chest pain, H-FABP enables doctors to triage patients suffering with a heart attack more efficiently than before, making sure those at high-risk are given medical intervention earlier.

Early screening in the form of a comprehensive health check is essential to detect cardiac irregularities before they become serious problems. Heart damage builds up over time, meaning that when detected early enough, lifestyle changes can help to reduce cardiac risk and potentially even prevent a cardiac event occurring.

Therefore, it is vitally important that individuals are tested for CVD to detect them in the earliest stages to reduce damage, prevent further damage, or even death. Furthermore, many people suffer from inherited cardiac risk factors, which stresses the need for accurate testing.

Randox offer the complete laboratory solution to cardiac risk assessment information to doctors and hospitals, and also directly to the public at Randox Health. Our range of both traditional and novel cardiac risk biomarkers, along with our technologically-advanced range of analysers, serves to allow us to offer the most advanced, most accurate health check available on the planet.

As well as your cardiovascular risk score, a Randox Health check will also assess your cholesterol levels, FH risk, triglycerides, creative kinase, myoglobin, troponin levels and many more heart health indicators. In total, a Randox Health check can assess up to 350 different markers of irregularity or disease in the whole body, from heart to hormone health and skin to stomach.

Many serious future health issues are preventable now with action. Find out more about our health check programmes here.

About Randox Health

Randox Health is a global leader in healthcare diagnostics; today more than 5% of the world’s population – in excess of 370 million people across 145 countries – receives medical diagnosis using Randox products each year.

After investing over £220 million in the invention and production of revolutionary blood-science technology, a single Randox Health check will deliver a complete picture of your health – as it is now and, crucially, how it is likely to develop in the future.

Randox Health has proven that signs of disease or irregularity can be caught at their earliest stage. This means that, with early action, some cases of illness can even be prevented altogether. Our health checks include, but are not limited to, cancer surveillance, fertility monitoring, heart health, nutrition, digestive and diabetes health.

In other words, from one health check, you’ll receive up to 350 results and afterwards avail of expert advice from the Randox scientists or a Randox Health GP. Not only that, but a complete 12-month programme and repeat testing come as standard so you can have full confidence that you are really taking care of yourself.

Find out more information about Randox Health checks here: https://www.randoxhealth.com/our-packages/

RX Series

Randox has developed the RX series range of clinical chemistry analysers for high-quality semi-automated and fully automated testing. Choose between the RX misano, RX monaco, RX daytona+, RX imola, and the RX modena depending on the throughput of your laboratory. The RX series offers a suitable analyser for your laboratory’s needs. For more information on the Randox RX series, please click here or email therxseries@randox.com

Reagents

Randox offers an extensive range of third party diagnostic reagents which are internationally recognised as being of the highest quality; producing accurate and precise results. We have the largest test menu of 118 assays, covering over 100 disease markers including specific proteins, lipids, therapeutic drug monitoring, drugs of abuse, antioxidants, coagulation, diabetes and veterinary testing. A wide range of formats and methods are available providing greater flexibility and choice for any laboratory size. In addition to flexible pack sizes and a comprehensive list of analyser applications, we can also provide dedicated reagent packs (Randox Easy Read and Easy Fit regents) for a wide range of chemistry analysers providing you with freedom of choice from an independent manufacturer.

For more information on Randox Reagents, please click here or email reagents@randox.com

Acusera – Internal Quality Control

The Acusera cardiac controls have been designed to cover a wide range of cardiac markers at clinical decision levels, eliminating the extra expense of an additional low level control. The controls are available in a both liquid ready-to-use and lyophilized formats making them ideal for all situations and manufactured from 100% human serum a matrix similar to that of the patient is guaranteed. For more information on the Randox Acusera internal quality control, please click here or email acusera@randox.com

RIQAS – External Quality Control

The RIQAS Liquid Cardiac EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of up to 9clinically significant cardiac markers including: CK-MB mass, D-dimer, Digoxin, homocysteine, hsCRP, myoglobin, NT proBNP, troponin I, and troponin T. RIQAS is ISO/IEC 17043 accredited and allows the registration of up to five instruments at no extra cost. All samples are 100% human serum and provided in a liquid ready-to-use format for enhanced convenience. Submit your results bi-weekly and view reports online via RIQAS.Net. For more information on RIQAS, the world’s largest international EQA scheme, please click here or email acusera@randox.com

For further information, please contact the Randox PR team via email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413

Simple health checks, sophisticated science at Randox Health

Posted on 2nd February 2018 at 4:13 pm.

Written by Randox Communications

What is health care? When we think of caring for our health, we think of going to the doctor when we feel ill. The healthcare cycle we’re accustomed to is one where we wait for symptoms to present themselves and then we visit a doctor, hoping to be prescribed medication to limit our symptoms.

Is this really health care? Are we really caring for our bodies in the best way possible by waiting for illness to manifest itself? What if we could properly look after our bodies by taking action early to stop illness in its tracks?

The key to this is identifying indicators of pre-illness, and the technology that allows you to do this is now available directly to you through Randox Health.

After investing over £220 million in the invention and production of revolutionary blood-science technology, a single Randox Health check will deliver a complete picture of your health – as it is now and crucially how it is likely to develop in the future.

Look out for our new ‘Health Made Simple’ blogs beginning next week, where we’ll be delving in to the sophisticated science and diagnostic tests that power each Randox Health check.

You’ll find out about our Everyman, Everywoman and our Signature health checks, as well as our Specialised testing options which focus on specific health issues.

Find out more and start your Randox Health journey today.

For further information, please contact the Randox PR team via email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413

Reconstituting Lyophilised Controls

Posted on 17th January 2018 at 10:09 am.

Written by Martin Conway

What is Lyophilisation?

Lyophilisation or ‘freeze drying’ is the process by which water is removed from a product after it is frozen and placed under a vacuum, allowing the ice to change directly from solid to vapor without passing through a liquid phase. The process consists of three separate processes:

Freezing
Primary Drying (Sublimation)
Secondary Drying (Desorption)

There are many benefits to using a lyophilised control including; improved product shelf-life and enhanced stability of volatile analytes. For example, many lyophilised controls have a shelf life of up to four years from the date of manufacture resulting in a reduction of costly new lot validation studies. Furthermore, lyophilised controls can be aliquoted and refrozen to extend the working stability of the product.

Reconstituting Lyophilised QC Material

The process of reconstitution involves adding a specified volume of distilled water to lyophilised QC material. The water should completely dissolve the lyophilised contents, giving a liquid solution, which is ready for analysis.

Reconstitution is a straightforward process, but requires a high level of precision. Small errors can have serious implications to the reconstituted material:

If too much water is pipetted during reconstitution, the material will be heavily diluted and results will be lower than expected
If too little water is pipetted during reconstitution, the material will not be sufficiently diluted, and results will be higher than expected
If the correct volume of water is pipetted, but a small amount of water gets stuck in the pipette tip due to poor pipetting technique, results will be higher than expected

If a lyophilised control has been reconstituted incorrectly the contents of the vial will be wasted. It is therefore vitally important that controls are reconstituted with care.

Materials and Methods Required

The list of requirements for an accurate and consistent reconstitution technique is not extensive, but each requirement is vital. Labs should have:

Calibrated volumetric pipettes
Sterile, appropriately sized pipette tips
Distilled water, or other reconstitution fluid as specified
Technician with good pipetting technique
Lyophilised QC stored according to manufacturer’s specifications

How to Reconstitute Lyophilised QC Material

Each different lyophilised control may require slightly different preparation, always refer to the instructions for use before reconstituting control material. The below guide provides a general overview of the reconstitution process, using the Randox Human Assayed Chemistry Premium Plus control (HN1530) as an example

Place the vial of lyophilised QC on a flat surface, carefully remove the lid and the rubber stopper making sure not to spill any material
Using a calibrated pipette and sterilised pipette tip, add exactly 5ml of distilled water directly into the QC vial, ensuring no water is left in the pipette tip, or on the rim/side of the vial
Place the rubber stopper and lid firmly back onto the QC vial, and leave to stand for 30 minutes
After 30 minutes, gently invert the QC vial 10-15 times to ensure the contents is completely dissolved, making sure to avoid the formation of foam. It is important that you DO NOT SHAKE the vial. Alternatively place the vial on a roller for 30 minutes to ensure the contents is thoroughly mixed
Once satisfied all material has been completely dissolved, proceed to use the QC product in accordance with the ‘Control’ section of the individual analyser application
Once finished, refrigerate any unused material. It is good practice to label the vial with the date of reconstitution to prevent the use of material outside of the recommended stability period
Prior to reusing lyophilised material, mix the contents thoroughly by gentle inversion, as highlighted in Step 4

Additional Considerations

It is important to remember that there may be slightly different reconstitution requirements for different QC material. For this reason, it is vital that the instructions provided on the QC Kit Inserts are closely followed.

Reconstituting lyophilised QC can be time-consuming. Therefore, Randox Acusera offer convenient 5ml distilled water serum diluent to assist laboratories with reconstitution of lyophilised controls. These user-friendly pour over vials streamline the reconstitution process and eliminate the risk of pipetting errors.

If you have any further questions regarding lyophilised controls or would like to contact us, please do so by emailing us at acusera@randox.com or use the contact us button provided.

Liver health: do you know your limits?

Posted on 5th January 2018 at 2:28 pm.

Written by Randox Communications

Are you taking part in Dry January? Giving up alcohol can do your insides a lot of good, and it’s great news for your liver in particular. It may be that after the festive period our liver needs a little bit of rest!

Did you know that alcohol consumption across the UK increases by a staggering 41 percent more than the annual monthly average in December? That’s more than anywhere else in the world.

The effects of alcohol on your health really depend on how much you drink and how often, but as the statistics show, more of us increase our uptake of alcohol over the festive period.

So how does this impact our body?

The results of over indulging vary from a hangover, a poor night’s sleep, to causing an irregular heartbeat, and in some cases, excessive alcohol intake can lead to liver damage. This can be a very serious condition, given the liver’s vital role in the body.

The liver plays a central role in all metabolic processes. In fat metabolism, it breaks down fats and produces energy. When we intake alcohol or drugs, the liver metabolizes the drug and detoxifies chemicals. And it also makes proteins important for blood clotting and other functions.

Following these processes, the liver also secretes bile that ends up back in the intestines and helps the digestion of fats and oils, otherwise known as lipids.

As Randox Health Expert Dr. Gary Smyth explains:

“The liver is one of the most complex organs in the body and also one of the most important. Although it is very resilient, each time it has to filter alcohol some of its cells die. The liver can develop new cells, but abuse over a prolonged period reduces its ability to regenerate, causing serious damage.”

It is not just heavy drinking over years that can cause liver disease – binge drinking is also a culprit and can lead to your liver becoming fatty and inflamed. The best advice is to drink in moderation. Simple tips like taking a glass of water in-between alcoholic drinks are key to staying hydrated.

Know your units;

According to drinkaware.co.uk, unit guidelines are now the same for men and women.
Both are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
This equates to 6 pints of 4% beer / 6 glasses of 13% wine / 14 glasses (25ml) of 40% spirits
But don’t save up your 14 units, it’s best to spread evenly across the week.
If you want to cut down the amount you’re drinking, a good way is to have several drink-free days each week.
If you’ve had a heavy drinking session, avoid alcohol for 48 hours.

What does one unit of alcohol look like?

One unit of alcohol is the amount of alcohol an average adult can process within one hour so that so that there’s no alcohol left in their bloodstream.

One unit of alcohol equates to:

218ml of standard 4.5% cider
76ml of standard 13% wine
25ml of standard 40% whiskey
250ml of standard 4% beer
250ml of a standard 4% alcopop

How many units are in my drink?

Small glass white / rosé / red wine (125ml 12%) = 1.5 units
Standard glass white / rosé / red wine (175 ml 12%) = 2.1 units
Large glass white / red / rosé wine (250ml 12%) = 3 units
Pint of lager / beer / cider (5.2%) = 3 units
Bottle of lager / beer / cider (330ml 5%) = 1.7 units
Single small shot of spirits (25ml 40%) = 1 unit*

*taken from NHS Live Well Guidelines

Having your liver health checked after Christmas is a great way of tracking any changes that you may need to make to your lifestyle, for better or for worse – essential for helping you prevent liver disease and allowing you to take early action if it is diagnosed.

At Randox we offer a comprehensive menu of liver function tests to determine the health of your liver. Provided by Randox to a wealth of hospitals, laboratories and research facilities across the globe, these tests are also directly available to you, the consumer, via our Randox Health clinics.

They include:

Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) – an enzyme mainly found in the liver. Liver injury or disease will release ALT into the bloodstream, thus elevating serum ALT levels. Moderately high or mildly elevated ALT levels can be associated with chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver.

Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) – an enzyme found predominantly in the heart, liver and skeletal muscles. Cell injury or disease will release AST into the bloodstream, thus elevating blood AST levels. Increased AST levels may be associated with hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), or drug-induced liver injury.

Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) – an enzyme found mainly in the liver. Increased levels of GGT in the blood may indicate bile duct injury, hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver necrosis (death of liver tissue), liver tumours or the use of drugs that are toxic to the liver. A high GGT level is frequently associated with increased alcohol consumption, as this liver enzyme is involved in the breakdown and removal of alcohol from the body.

Glutamate Dehydrogenase (GLDH) – an enzyme located within the mitochondria (energy-producing machinery) of cells, particularly within liver tissue. Significant liver cell damage may cause release of GLDH into the bloodstream. Toxic liver damage, liver cell necrosis (cell death) or hypoxic liver disease (where liver cells are deprived of oxygen) may cause an increase in GLDH. Measurement of GLDH in combination with other liver markers may help distinguish between different causes of liver dysfunction.

Bilirubin – a yellowish-brown pigment found in bile (a fluid produced in the liver that facilitates digestion in the intestine). Increased levels may be associated with liver or bile duct blockage (eg due to gallstones), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), trauma to the liver, a drug reaction, long-term alcohol abuse or rare inherited disorders (eg Dubin-Johnson syndrome which is characterised by mild jaundice).

Albumin – produced by the liver, albumin is the most abundant protein in the blood. Albumin plays in important role in maintaining blood pressure and transporting a wide variety of small molecules, such as hormones, vitamins and drugs, throughout the body. Various conditions are associated with decreased albumin levels, including kidney and liver diseases.

Copper – an essential mineral that plays a part in many enzyme systems within the body. Excess or deficiency of copper is very rare, however raised copper levels may be caused by chronic liver disease or acute hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).

And when used in conjunction with the wide variety of other tests available within the world’s most comprehensive and personalised health testing menu, you can obtain an understanding of your full body health like never before.

That’s why we don’t test in isolation, which can give a patchy representation of your health and can fail to pick up on related symptoms elsewhere in the body. We test up to 350 tests across 25 areas of your health – giving you the power to take your health into your own hands.

Contact the Randox Health team today to determine the health of your liver, and of your body.

Call 0800 2545 130 or click here.

Randox Liver Health

Posted on 4th January 2018 at 1:30 pm.

Written by randoxlaboratories

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View our alcohol and liver health infographic

The liver is responsible for many critical functions within the body and should it become diseased or injured, the loss of those functions can cause significant damage to the body. Randox are focusing on liver health, we will look at liver disease, its main causes and how to reduce your risk of many types of liver disease with some simple lifestyle changes.

Did you know?

One in five of us is at risk of developing liver damage!

Liver disease is now the fifth largest cause of death, with as many as 1 in 10 people experiencing problems with their liver at sometime in their life. Liver diseases are extremely costly in terms of human suffering, general practitioner and hospital visits, and premature loss of productivity. Most people with liver disease die in working age (16-85 years) making liver disease the third biggest cause of premature mortality, mortality rates for liver disease have increased 400% since 1970.

The three main causes of liver disease are;

1. Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD)

Regularly drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol over a long period of time can damage your liver, leading to alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and liver cancer. Overall, alcohol-related liver disease accounts for well over a third (37%) of liver disease deaths. More than 1 in 10 deaths of people in their 40’s are due to liver disease, with the vast majority from alcohol-related liver disease.

2. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by a build up of fatty deposits in the liver, causing inflammation and scarring. After years of inflammation NAFLD leads to cirrhosis causing the liver to become scarred and lumpy; this damage is permanent and ultimately can lead to liver failure and/or cancer.

NAFLD is more common in those who are overweight or obese. A healthy liver should contain little or no fat, it is estimated that 1 in every 3 people in the UK have early stages of NAFLD due to small amounts of fats in the liver.

As well as being overweight, you are also at an increased risk of developing NAFLD if you have: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol.

3. Hepatitis

Hepatitis refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver. It’s commonly caused by a viral infection, viral hepatitis affects over 700,00 people in the UK. Most people can recover from hepatitis A with no lasting liver damage, but hepatitis B and C can cause long term liver damage and liver cancer.

Hepatitis can lead to severe liver damage including cirrhosis, increasing the risk of liver cancer.